SAO: Fatal Bullet V1 Reality
by MrHaloFan
Summary: A broken young man haunted by the void left behind in the wake of the SAO tragedy, Casus finds himself pulled into the world of VRMMOs in the form of Gun Gale Online when his childhood friend invites him to a CO-OP tournament. After encountering Kirito and his friends, Casus finds himself pulled into the adventure of his life, but death and tragedy lurks behind the corner
1. Reality

'It's just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game!'

Casus shot up in his bed, his eyes wide and black hair slick with sweat. He was home. In his room. The real world. It had to be! He could feel the satin sheets against his palms and the cold sweat running down his back. It was real.

Or was it?

Casus jumped from his bed, his breath heavy and shallow and he made his way into the bathroom. As he entered he was greeted by his own reflection in the mirror that stretched along the wall, his well toned, yet sickly pale body, totally visible.

"Is this real?" he said, his eyes transfixed onto his own reflection as his finger traced along the scar that jagged down his brow and cheek.

Without hesitation, Casus smashed his fist into the mirror. With a chime, the mirror cracked outwards like a silver spiderweb, his own reflection splintering off into each unique shard. Casus pulled back his fist to inspect his bloodied hand and pressed his head against the mirror in a fit of relieved laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks. There was no player blood in VRMMOs.

"It's real..." he said with a grin, turning his back to the mirror and lowering himself to his knees. "It's not a game."

~

Casus straightened his tie, a difficult task indeed considering the state of his hand, but he managed all the same. Yet another mirror to be replaced in oh so many months, although his medication had made sleep a much more achievable affair than what it once was.

Casus pulled his black blazer over his grey waistcoat and turned his attention to the digital clock at his bedside.

'10:24' he thought, a bemused smile playing across his pale lips. He would have to head to the store quickly and pick up his new game if he was to meet Takamine in time for their online reunion.

Casus peeled back the curtains behind his bed and allowed the late-morning sun to shine into his room. The once-bleak interior was suddenly revived into something one could even describe as homely, even Casus's unhealthy complexion seemed to glow with vitality. Japan was indeed a beautiful country. He had lived there with his brother and father ever since he was a little boy and the thought of leaving had never once occurred to him, even after all that had happened.

Grabbing his phone, Casus made his way out his room and into the living room only to once again find himself cast in darkness with but a few slithers of desperate sunlight daring to try and break through the cracks of the lowered blinds.

"What's going on?" Said a man who laid mostly hidden under a blanket on the sofa. His features were much the same as Casus's own, yet they bared the wear and tear of age. "What are you doing up?"

"I'm going out," said Casus.

The man chuckled and ran a hand through his dishevelled greasy hair.

"Out where?" he said. "You really should share these things with your father."

Casus scanned over the various empty bottles of alcohol that decorated the floor.

"You disgust me" he said, his icy tone sending the man's eyes downcast. "Tidy this mess up before I get home."

Casus motioned towards the door.

"Sure thing, son" smiled the man as he sat up on the sofa. "I'll see if your brother can help me."

Casus froze, his hand tightly wrapped around the door handle. Must he endure this every day? Every damn day for three years straight?Did he truly not remember, or did he simply wish to torture Casus as much as he tortured himself?

"Sure" he breathed, opening the door to once again be brought into the light. "Whatever you say, old man."


	2. (Chapter 1) GGO

Casus looked down to the new game in his hand with a soft smile. It may have cost him a pretty penny, but if the things he had heard about the game were indeed true, he would make up the cost and then some with a bit of effort.

'Gun Gale Online' he thought as he took his AmuSphere from the depths of a box he kept under his bed.

It truly was a box of memories, many of which deserved to be all but forgotten, much like his brother's Nerve-Gear that took up a great deal of the space inside.

Despite his best efforts, Casus found himself hesitating as he reached for the AmuSpher, his fingers only weakly curling around the headband. It had been some time since he had last used it, even going so far as to give it a complete factory reset. It brought back unpleasant memories, as did much of what laid in that box, but none were quite as personal as the sheathed knife that lay partly submerged amongst the many items.

'Man up!' He thought, taking the AmuSphere and kicking the box back under his bed. Dwelling on the past was for those that had no future. Casus was no such person.

Casus got into bed, being sure to prop up some pillows.

"Here goes nothing" he said as he turned on the device, pulling the screen over his eyes. "Link start!"

Everything turned to white and Casus was left with the feeling of utter waitlessness. It had been some time since he last had to set up an account but he was already starting to adjust to the jarring change of perspective. After what must have been only a minute or so of loading, Casus was brought to the avatar creation room of Gun Gale online.

"No need to draw this out" he said with a sigh as he simply chose to use his own apppearence as his avatar. "Don't fix what ain't broken" he grinned

"Welcome, to Gun Gale Online!" Said a female voice as a bright flash consumed Casus completely. Again there came that feeling of waitlessness but it wasn't long before the sensation had completely passed and he felt himself grounded. For the bfriefest of moments, Casus thought that perhaps he had been disconnected and brought back to reality, but this was not the case.

Casus oponed his eyes to see a sprawling city before him in all its ominous gloom. Towering skyscrapers that could almost pierce the heavens; heavily armed players of all descriptions, and the busteling of what was akin to a real world metropolis.

"Wow" said Casus as he stepped from the teleporter.

With a hesitant groan Casus looked down to examine his starting gear only to cringe at the clothing he had been provided. The metal plate was appreciated but a white "battle jacket"? A blue shirt? Needless to say he would be getting a complete equipment overhaul when he could afford it.

"Hey!" cried a girl running towards him.

The girl wore a long pink jacket over her black top and white skirt and her equally pink hair was held upin a ponytail to the side of her head. It was quite the noticeable look and would certainly make her hard to miss in a crowd.

"Casus?" She said curiously. "A bit of a strange name, but it suits you"

"Kureha?" Said Casus as he inspected the young girl's profile.

"Don't you recognise me?" She said with a wink. "I suppose I do look pretty different than in real life. Not like you though Cas, you look exactly the same!"

"I'm surprised you recognise me too" he said. "It's been a long time."

Kureha nodded and gave Casus a quick vice-like hug.

"I just can't believe you're taller than me now!" She said as she looked up to him, his chin levelled above her forehead. "Not fair."

"Would you feel better if I said I gave myself an extra inch or two?"

Kureha smiled a punched Casus on the arm.

"You sure do know how to make a girl feel better."

Casus pulled his attention away from Kureha to once again look over the city that stretched out before him. It truly was incredible what VRMMORPGs we're capable off. It was certainly a lot different than the last game he played.

"I forgot, this is your first time in a VRMMORPG, right, Casus?" said Kureha.

"Yep, that's right" said Casus bluntly, still not taking his eyes off from the city. Lies came easier when you didn't have to look them in the eye.

"Well, I hope you're a quick learner. I'm gonna give you some pointers before we enter this tournament."

"Tournament?" Said Casus, his eyebrow cocked.

"Well duh. It's the reason I invited you here, remember?" She said with a roll of her eyes. "It's the Co-Op Tournament. Winner gets a boat load of credits between them!"

"Ah, I see" smiled Casus. "You finally remembered just how hopeless you are without me."

Kureha grabbed Casus by the scruff of his white jacket, dragging him down so that her pale blue eyes were staring right back into his Emerald gaze.

"Listen here buster" She said. "I could handle this myself, but I need another person to enter with. I want someone who can follow my lead and you were the perfect choice since I was always the boss when we were kids."

Kureha released her grip and turned her back to Casus, crossing her arms with a grin.

"Yes Ma'm" he chuckled.

"So, are you going to take me up on my generous offer to give you some training?"

"Absolutely."

~

Kureha led Casus through the city and towards the Governor's office. It was quite the walk. It wouldn't be unrealistic to assume that players could get lost for hours even with their maps.

The pair entered through the large double doors and into the circular hall of the building.

"Over there is the registration point" said Kureha. She pointed towards a long line of monitors that stretched the length of the wall. "You can sign up for the competition over there and then we can go pick you up some starting equipment. I'll spot you this once, but nothing fancy though! I ain't made of credits."

Casus nodded and went to a nearby monitor.

'Name and address?' He thought, his eyebrow raised. The monitors were so exposed that anyone would be able to see his private info. 'Would it really be too much to ask that they request this stuff at the initial account registration?'

After ensuring no one was watching, Casus filled in his real name and details.

"You done?" Said Kureha, her hands at her hips. "Come on then. Let's do some shopping."

Casus and Kureha walked to a wall of screens, each displaying different types of weapons.

"The stuff here isn't too bad but it's not my first choice" said Kureha with a sigh. "Unfortunately we haven't exactly got the time to take you to a decent store."

"Any recommendations?" said Casus.

"Maybe this?" Said Kureha, pointing to one of the monitors that displayed an angular looking pistol. "It's an energy based weapon. Perfect for mobs but less effective against players. It'll get you through the tournament though and then you'll have a decent starter weapon for levelling."

Casus looked to Kureha with the most intense dead-pan expression he could muster.

"What!?" She shrieked, putting her hands at her hips.

"Keep that sci-fi shit away from me" he said, instead directing his sights to the real-life based weaponry. Gun Gale online certainly lived up to its name sake, the guns were the real deal. Everything down to the calibre of the bullets seemed perfect. Casus may have had a limited experience with ballistic weaponry as opposed to more hands-on tools, but he couldn't deny their superior effectiveness.

"I'll take the Heckler and Koch HK45" he grinned. "10 round magazine and superb stopping power. I will remind you Kureha, these are side arms. Side arms. They're not meant to be used as an alternative to say an AR."

"Yeah, I know" Said Kureha with a groan. "Let's not forget who the newbie is here."

"Me of course" smiled Casus. "I would rather just not be too much of a hinderance to you during this tournament."

Casus pulled up his player-menu and selected the HK-45 from the shop inventory. With a quick tap of his finger the credits were transferred and the gun was sent to his inventory. Casus activated the weapon and it appeared in a holster on his leg.

"How many weapons can I have equipped?" Said Casus.

"As many as you can carry" said Kureha. "Most don't carry more than two or three though. Some AGI-build pros even go in with one . It really depends on your build and play style."

"Interesting" Said Casus as he unholstered his new weapon and pulled back the slide to see a already chambered round.

"All weapons start with a full magazine" said Kureha, "but since you wasted most of your starter credits on that, I'll buy you some ammo."

"Thanks, Kureha" said Casus. "You're still a total sweet-heart, did you know that?"

"Shuddup!" Said Kureha, her cheeks turning a deep red. "I'm not doing it to be sweet,it's just you won't be that useful to me if you run dry in the middle of a gunfight."

"Fair enough" Casus grinned.

"There" said Kureha. "The ammunition has been sent to your inventory. Simply reach towards the magazine slot on your holster and one will spawn in your hand to load your weapon."

"Fantastic"

"So. You ready for some target practice?"

Casus nodded and Kureha led Casus to a large door. The pair stepped through and were greeted by a long row of stalls, each one looking down towards a wall of targets. Other than the two of them, there was only one other group there.

"Oh my god!" shrieked Kureha.

"What?" Said Casus, his hand dropping to his weapon.

"It's Itsuki" she said. "He's one of the best players in GGO."

Casus sighed and moved his hand from his pistol. Just a littlgroup that stood huddled around a soft featured young man in a long jacket.

"That pretty-boy is one of the top players in the game?" Said Casus as he attempted to stifle a laugh.

"Yes, he is" said Kureha.

Itsuki looked past his group, his eyes scanning over Casus and Kureha with mild curiosity. Although Casus could not make out what the group was talking about, it appeared as if they were in mid conversation when Itsuki simply blanked them and approached Kureha and himself.

"Kureha, right?" Said Itsuki with a soft smile.

"Y-Yeah!" Said Kureha, her cheeks turning red. "You know who I am?"

"Of course" he said. "You're an up and coming top player. Not bad for someone who isn't part of a squadron. I here your battle awareness and combat intuition is commendable."

Kureha giggled awkwardly to herself, earning her a roll of the eyes from Casus.

"And who might you be?" Said Itsuki. "You're in starting gear so you must be a newbie."

"My name is Casus"

Itsuki grinned, looking the young man up and down as a fashionista might do a catwalk model.

"You certainly have an air of confidence about you" he grinned. "Have you fired a weapon yet?"

"That's why we're here" Said Kureha proudly.

"I see" said Itsuki as he rubbed his chin. "I'd very much like to watch. There's nothing quite like watching a player try to fire a weapon for the first time."

"As you wish" Said Casus, his eyes locked onto Itsuki with an intense glare.

Casus drew his pistol.

"Alright, Cas." Said Kureha as she activated a target at the other end of the firing lane. "When you aim you'll see a pulsing ring over the target. When you fire your bullets will land somewhere within that ring."

Casus aimed down the lane and examined the ring that appeared before him. It was a rather off putting—and unnatural—addition to his vision. It was as like someone had done a crude photoshop and simply superimposed an image over the original.

"How do I turn this thing off?" he groaned.

Itsuki grinned.

"Umm..." trailed Kureha. "I wouldn't recommend it. Only role-players and showboaters turn it off. It's more effective to run and gun with the bullet circle. With it off your weapon operates much more like a real firearm."

"Good" Said Casus. "So how do I turn it off?"

"Your options menu" said Itsuki.

Cause activated his menu and deactivated the bullet circle (despite the the system's advice to not do so) and put himself on to a steady stance, the gun held out in front of him and his eye peering down the iron sights towards his target. He inhaled, and on the exhale of his breath he fired three rounds towards his mark.

Kureha activated the target again and it moved towards them, Casus' shots coming into view. Three rounds struck the target, all of which were neatly grouped together.

"Wow" said Kureha. "Where do you learn to shoot?"

Casus didn't reply, instead he turned his gaze to Itsuki who examined the target with a smile.

"No bullet circle might work well against slow moving or stationary targets" he said. "but it will put you at a disadvantage against AGI and DEX builds."

"Ill find a way to compensate" said Casus coldly.

"I'm sure you will" said Itsuki with a shark like grin. "I really must be going now, the Co-Op Tournament will be starting shortly. I suppose I may just see you there."

Itsuki left and the players had had previously been conversing with followed swiftly behind.

"What an interesting character" said Casus as he slotted his pistol back into its holster.

"With shooting like that he's no doubt thinking the same thing" said Kureha. The young girl crossed her arms and frowned at Casus. "And he's right you know. Without the bullet circle you are at a distinct disadvantage against DEX and AGI builds."

"I gathered" sighed Casus.

"And I hate to break it to you, a lot of the players have specialised in those stats. They were the go-to options before the last update."

"I'll just have to adjust my play-style" smiled Casus as he rubbed the back of his head innocently. "Isn't part of the fun discovering what works best for me?"

Kureha leaned in close with a frown.

"Fine" she sighed. "Let's go. The tournament will be starting soon."


	3. (Chapter 2) Lucky

Casus gripped his HK45 firmly in both hands, the pistol held out squarely in front of him as he and Kureha advanced down the silent corridor.

"Come on!" said Kureha with a pout. "We need to get moving if we're gonna rack up some easy kills, I don't like the idea of only going up against pros."

Casus didn't respond, instead continuing with his slow advance.

"This isn't good" he whispered. "All a player has to do is turn a corner and start spraying. We've got no cover or means of escape. We shouldn't have come down here."

"This is GGO, not a real war zone!" said Kureha. "Taking risks can have major payoffs! Just follow my lead"

As Casus and Kureha neared the end of the corridor, Itsuki and his companion turned the corners to both the right and left of them.

Casus dropped to one knee and trained his sights on Itsuki. At the very least he could pop a few shots into the pretty-boy's smug face before his inevitable death.

"You really should listen to your friend Kureha" said Itsuki with a sly grin. "Your battle awareness may be most impressive but your situational understanding still requires some improvement."

"Casus..." whispered Kureha, gently tugging at his jacket while still keeping her eyes on the two players before her. "we should make a run for it..."

Casus rolled his eyes.

"Make a run for it down the straight corridor?" he said, not even bothering to whisper. "Sure. Maybe these two top-ranking players are actually piss-poor shots?"

"Anything is possible" said Itsuki. "But I agree. Running seems like a poor decision."

"I don't suppose you'll just let us go?" Said Kureha with an awkward giggle.

"Now that you mention it," said Itsuki, coming out from behind cover. "I think I will."

"What's the catch?" Said Casus, his pistol still firmly focused on Itsuki.

He could take the shot right there and significantly improve their chances of survival if he so wished, but with the other player still in cover and Kureha seeming unready for a sudden firefight, their odds would still be low and there was no reward for being knocked out from the match without a score.

"On the other side of this door directly behind me is a rather troublesome enemy NPC." Said Itsuki with a sigh. "I would take it out myself, but that would require a degree of effort I don't feel enclined to exert right now."

"So, we kill the enemy, you let us go?" Said Kureha with a sigh of relief.

"Exactly. And I promise I won't shoot you. Or maybe I will." laughed Itsuki, earning him a frown from Casus. "I jest. I'm as good as my word."

With a sigh, Casus lowered his weapon and stood up, much to Itsuki's delight. It was hardly as if they had any other options available to them. Taking Itsuki up on his offer was the only reasonable move open to them.

"What do you think, Boss?" Said Casus with a wink.

Kureha put on the sternest face she could and nodded.

"This seems like a more than preferable course of action. Let's go!" Kureha marched towards the door and Casus followed.

'She's determined, I'll give her that' he thought.

The large metal doors slid open as the pair approached and they stepped into the square room at the end of which was another set of double doors. There was also no shortage of cover within the room as large rectangular pillars supported the ceiling and waist high consoles marked a square perimeter at the center most area.

"This place just screams 'combat imminent'" laughed Casus, much to Kureha's annoyance.

"Please take this seriously!" She said. "If I get knocked out of this tournament by an NPC enemy then I'll never live it down."

As if on queue, a large robotic enemy spawned at the centre of the room. In place of arms, the mechanical menace possessed two 6-barrel turrets.

"Well shit" breathed Casus.

The robot's face glowed a deep red at the sight of the two players and with a metallic shriek, the guns began to spin.

"Grab some cover!" yelled Kureha as she ran behind a pillar.

Casus rolled forward behind a waist height monitor as the machine fired its turrets towards him. The bullets skimmed past and Casus propped his back up against the console, a sharp sting stabbing across his leg. He looked down to see a streak of red across his thigh. It may have only of been a graze but the single shot from the enemy's weapon had taken a sizeable chunk of his HP. To say it was higher than a level one would be a fair assessment.

"So, Kureha" laughed Casus. "Any ideas?"

Kureha poked her head around the pillar only to quickly pull back into cover as the robot started to fire.

"You hearing what I'm hearing?" She said.

"Yeah" grinned Casus. "The turrets have at least a 1.5 second delay to start spinning."

"Bingo!" she yelled "and its sensor can only monitor one of us at a time."

"Divide and conquer?" Said Casus, readying his weapon.

Kureha nodded.

"Enemies like this often have two weak spots. One is the head and I'm willing to put credits on the second being on its back. I'll divert its attention and you start shooting."

Casus couldn't help but smile at Kureha. Even though she was still the boss when they were kids, she was always a rather closed off and timid girl. GGO had really let her come into her own.

"On three!" She yelled, snapping Casus back into the heat of the battle.

"Copy that."

"One...two...three!"

Kureha darted from behind her cover and rolled behind a monitor just as the guns started to fire. The machine turned somewhat to face her but still not enough for Casus to get a clear shot at its back. Kureha then moved again, this time firing a volley of rounds at the robot's sensor from her SMG. Again it started to fire and this time turned enough for Casus to see the glowing red column of its mechanical spine.

Casus readied his pistol and began firing at the machine's weak-point. With what could only be described as a scream the robot arched back, it's turrets firing into the air. Spotting her chance, Kureha turned from behind cover and started to fire at the robot's sensors. Before their magazines were even empty the machine erupted into a brief explosion before completely diapering into a mass of glimmering fragments of code.

"Expertly done, Miss Kureha" said Casus with panted breaths, the adrenaline of the fight still pumping through him.

"Why thank you, Casus." she giggled "A splendid display from you also."

"On that we are agreed" said Itsuki.

He entered the room with his companion on guard beside him, his AR ready to fire at Casus and Kureha.

"Move" he ordered.

Casus and Kureha walked to the other set of double doors with Itsuki and his comrade following close behind. The doors opened to reveal another corridor with two separate paths to either side of them.

"Splendid" said Itsuki. "Now I can let you go without having to travel with you."

"I take it we can pick what route we take?" Said Casus.

"Indeed you may" said Itsuki with a sigh. "I have the worst luck. It's why I ended up stumbling onto that enemy back there."

"Very well" said Casus.

Casus and Kureha went down the left corridor, leaving Itsuki and his friend to travel the opposite direction.

"It was lucky we ran into Itsuki" said Kureha. "Any other player would have just gunned us down."

"That's precisely why this Itsuki intrigued me" Said Casus.

The two eventually came to yet another set of steel doors and they entered the room with their weapons readied. It was empty, if one could even describe it as such. The room was filled to the brim with computer consoles, the largest of which at the end of the room beneath a large screen that appeared to display some sort of live security feed.

"Wow!" Said Kureha as she ran forward, excitement clear in her voice.

Casus followed behind and stopped atop a large metal platform. It truly was an interesting sight. It was like a large circular disk on the ground with three metal pillars arching upwards. It was not too dissimilar to the starting teleporter in the game.

Casus's eyes went wide.

"Hey Cas, do you think this could help lead us to some good loot?" Said Kureha as she started pressing at the console.

"No, wait!"

Before Kureha could heed his warning, Casus was zapped by the teleporter.

"Casus?" Said Kureha, Turing around to face the teleporter only for her eyes to go just as wide as Casus's has done.

"Oh no."

[**Author's Notes: Sorry for the late publish, to all those that have followed and favourited this! I intend to release a chapter at least once a week due to my work taking up a lot of my time but I've had a blast writing this so far and I hope you all enjoy! Any feedback is also welcome! My spelling is pretty lacking so any errors feel free to let me know. I want this to be a smooth experience for anyone who reads!] **


	4. (Chapter 3) Master?

The world around Casus turned into nothing more than a bright white blur and made the boy wince as if someone had just thrown a flash grenade in his face. With a rub of his eyes everything once again came into focus and it became painfully clear that his surroundings had changed drastically.

"Ah, crap" said Casus with a sigh as he drew his pistol.

Long rows of pods lined the walls of the larger bunker-like room and stacked upwards towards the ceiling, each separated by a catwalk. There had to be hundreds of them, all their systems and electronics humming softly to break the otherwise eery silence.

Casus got off the teleporter with a hesitant step as if he was testing the water of a hot bath. There was no telling what nasty supirises awaited him. He wouldn't be surprised if there was some angry boss NPC just waiting to wring out his insides like a wet towel.

He walked forward, never lowering his guard. At the end of the bunker was a single solitary pod overlooked by a high railing to its side. There also seemed to be a door just further down from the raised platform.

_'No doubt my way out' _

thought Casus.

He knew he was aught to leave right then and there, that to linger in large open bunker was a terrible idea, but perhaps Kureha was right. 'Taking risks can have major payoffs'

Casus approached the pod, unable to see through the thick blurred glass that separated him from whatever laid behind its cover.

"Anyone in there?" he said as he pressed his hand against the class.

The pod flashed a bright blue and the sound of electronic systems began to buzz loudly. Casus jumped back with his weapon raised at the pod that began to raise itself horizontally so that it faced him head on. With a hiss, the pod door opened to reveal a young girl who fell from the pod.

Without thinking Casus rushed forward to catch the girl who collapsed in his arms. As he moved forward however, the loud crack of a large caliber weapon sounded off to his side.

_'The railing!' _he thought, supporting the girl in his lap as he twisted his frame to face the railing to peer down the barrel of a cyan-haired girl's rifle. She fired another round, this time striking Casus's hand and sending his weapon to the ground.

_'Shit!' _

As if things couldn't get any worse, a black-coated boy jumped from further down the railing and started to sprint at Casus with what he could only describe as a purple energy sword. The boy moved with such intense speed, Casus had no idea what to do even as time began to slow to a crawl around him.

_'Go for the gun? No. The sniper will take me down; tackle the swordsman? Maybe, but I doubt I'll be able to move fast enough at this rate; surrender? Like hell.' _

Casus was ripped from his thoughts as the boy propelled himself forward, his blade sweeping down towards him. Without even thinking Casus turned his body so his back faced the boy and he outstretched his arms to cover the young girl. He wasn't even sure what he was doing, it was as if all his plans had vanished into nothing.

Casus prepared himself for the subtle sting of the blade's strike when the white-haired girl opened her violet-hued eyes and starred directly into his own stern stare, her pale lips parting to mutter but one word,

"Master?"

**[Author's Notes: I know this is a short one but I wanted to get something out as I'm due for a proper busy week this week lol. I hope you all enjoy and I promise the next chapter will be quite a fair bit longer! It will also be brining in quite a few veteran SAO/GGO players so hopefully I can stop it from feeling too crowded. Remember, if you're enjoying the work or have any criticisms let me know through message or review! :) ]**


	5. (Chapter 4) Newbie

Casus waited for what felt like ages for the sudden sting of a blade to cut through his digital body, but that feeling never came; he could only feel the gentle heat that radiated off the weapon's tip as it hovered level over base of his neck, all the while the young white-haired girl lay on the floor before him, her eyes never braking from his face.

"Damn" said the sword-wielding boy as an electronic rasp signaled the deactivation of his blade. "We were too slow it seems"

"Damn it!" Said the female sniper, slinging her rifle over her shoulder and leaning against the railing that overlooked the three of them.

Casus turned around to face the smiling young boy. It wasn't the same sort of grin as that of Itsuki. It was genuinely warm and kind, but for some strange reason, that disturbed Casus far greater than Itsuki's own wolffish smirk.

"Back away or I'll blow this girl's head off!" shouted a familiar voice from the railing.

Casus looked up to see Kureha pointing her SMG at the cyan-haired girl but the tables soon turned when a girl with mousy brown hair dressed in white pointed her own assault rifle at Kureha.

"Yay" droned Casus with a role of his eyes. "My hero."

"Shuddup!" Said Kureha with a smash of her foot. "You wouldn't need saving if you didn't get jumped!"

The boy in front of Casus laughed and hooked his deactivated energy sword to his belt.

"I'm Kirito" he smiled, outstretching a hand towards Casus.

Casus accepted the outstretched hand and with a single shake.

"I'm Casus."

Kirito looked to him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Casus huh? That name sounds familiar..."

Casus froze while the boy looked him over with an inquisitive gaze. He couldn't have known. It was impossible.

"My friend on the balcony there is Kureha" Said Casus sharply.

"Oh?" Said Kirito as he turned his attention to the pink-haired girl. "I've heard of you. You're a pretty tough player if I remember rightly. It's nice to meet you!"

"Wait..." Said Kureha. "You're Kirito? As in, _the _Kirito? Winner of the Bullet of Bullets?!"

"Joint winner!" Said the female sniper as she pointed a slender finger at Kureha's face.

"So you must be Sinon?!"

"That's right"

"And I'm Asuna" said the girl behind Kureha. "Kirito has only just got around to dragging me into this game; so I haven't made much of a name for myself. Yet." she grinned

"Yep, The Beserk Healer is sure to make a name for herself in no time" said Kirito with a playful wink

"Master" Said the white haired girl, tugging at Casus's jacket.

"Oh, I almost forgot about you" said Casus. "You some kind of NPC?"

"I'm an ArFA-Sys type X" she said, standing up to attention.

"Wait, you didn't even know what she was and you still jumped in front to protect it?" Said Kirito.

"You know what this is?"

"Only the rarest support AI in the whole game so far!" Said Kureha as she jumped from the railing. "As team leader it's only right that I register her to myself" she grinned.

"Sorry, I can not comply with that request" said the ArFA-Sys.

"What? Why not!"

"User: Casus, is my Master."

"It seems as if she's already been registered to Casus" said Kirito with a laugh.

"What?!" Shrieked Kureha. "You jerk!"

"I didn't do it on purpose, moron" said Casus as he stepped back from Kureha's overly-telegraphed punch.

"As far as I'm concerned she's jointly owned by myself for as long as you're with me. Got it?" Said Kureha.

"Affirmative" Said the ArFA-Sys. "Registering User: Kureha, as my Master's superior.

"Yay" groaned Casus.

"Well, it seems like this mission was a bust guys" said Kirito with a awkward rub of the back of his head.

"Not surprised one of your genius plans flopped" Said Sinon.

"We can still win the tournament Kirito, we might even get a good prize for Yui!"

"Good point Asuna. And That reminds me" said Kirito. "Sinon, I appreciate the help back there but what happened to your partner?"

Sinon's cheeks burned a bright red and her eyes went wide.

"He...uh...Got blown up..."

"Sad times" grinned Casus.

"Poor Klein..." said Asuna. "He's still a bit green when it comes to guns."

"Well let's give each other a fair shot and split up. Next time we meet though, I'm breaking out the ninja moves" said Kirito with a smile.

"You're on" grinned Sinon as she ran out of the hanger.

"It was nice meeting you Casus" said Kirito. "You too Kureha. We should all meet up some time. Anyone as lucky as you is bound to attract a lot of much needed fun."

With that Kirito and Asuna left, leaving Casus and Kureha with the peculiar NPC that stood ever at attention beside them.

Without warning, the young ArFA-Sys suddenly perked up.

"Activation process complete!" She stated gleefully. "It's a pleasure to mee you Master!"

"Wow. That's creepily human like" said Casus.

"ArFA-Sys Type X units are unbelievably advanced" said Kureha. "They even have their own unique personalities."

"That's correct Miss Kureha!" smiled the ArFA-Sys.

"Just call me Kureha" she smiled.

"What do we call you?" Said Casus.

"I...I don't know" she said, her eyes downcast. "You're my Master. You may call me anything you wish."

"Nothing lewd, you creep" said Kureha crossing her arms.

The ArFa-Sys's cheeks turned a bright red.

"Yes, Master! Please nothing inappropriate!"

"What do you idiots take me for? A pervert?"

The two girls went silent.

"You have to be shitting me" he said, raising his hand over his face.

"You're a lonely video-game nerd who's never had a girlfriend" said Kureha. "You must be at least a bit of a pervert."

Casus shot Kureha a deadly glare that made the young girl squirm before him.

"Alright alright, just stop looking at me like that!" She shrieked.

"Ari" said Casus. "Your name is Ari."

"Arrri?" Giggled the ArFA-Sys. "Ari. I like that name very much!"

"Good. Now then Kureha..." said Casus with a grin "I do believe our chances of success have just increased. We now possess a three-person party for a co-op tournament."

Kureha's eyes lit up with glee as if she were a school girl on Christmas.

"I like the way you think, partner."

~

"Fourth place" pouted Kureha as the three of them sat on a bench outside the Governor's Office.

"Yes" sighed Casus. "Even though we outlived Itsuki and his companion, it seems as if they racked up a lot of points taking out the lower level teams."

"And I rated low chances of success against Sinon, Kirito and Asuna" said Ari with her head bowed with a sullen grimace.

"Still, I believe this was a success" grinned Casus as he leaned back on the bench with his hand against his chin. "We outmanoeuvred several high levelled teams and came out with a far greater prize than what a first-place victory could have offered us."

"Are you talking about me?" smiled Ari.

"Indeed I am."

Kureha couldn't take her eyes off Casus. For a boy that was more often than not a miserable shit (to put it lightly) he seemed so happy when in combat or devising intricate battle plans. Despite being shown mercy by not only one but two players, Casus completely dominated anyone he came across. No chatting, no discussion, no chance for surrender. He even used his own ArFA-Sys to lure out enemy players into his own brutally devised ambushes.

"I suppose it's just a game" whispered Kureha.

"You say something?" Said Casus.

"No, don't worry" said Kureha as she put on a forced smile.

"My Master has a great eye for tactical advantages" said Ari happily. "So perhaps you'll know how to best make use of this gift!"

"Gift?" Said Casus

Ari spawned a crossbow-like device in her hand, a wide grin across her lips as she presented the item to her master.

"It's the Ultimate Fiber Gun!" She said proudly. "Or 'UFG' for short."

"What does it do?" Said Casus, taking the weapon.

"It acts as a grappling device, pulling you towards ledges and walls. It can also be used to pull objects towards you"

Kureha looked to the UFG with wide eyes.

"No way" she said, shaking her head. "First you get your own ArFA-Sys, then you get a unique item! This thing isn't even on the drop lists yet."

Casus activated the item, spawning a holster on the back of his belt. He slotted the UFG away with a menicing smirk.

"Today must be my lucky day."

"Don't let it get to your head, Casus" said Kureha softly. "You're a good guy. I don't want all this stuff making you a jumped up, arrogant bastard. You're still a newbie."

Casus nodded, his smirk disappearing as he rubbed his face.

"Sorry" he sighed. "I'm getting ahead of myself but I'm not being arrogant. I'm just interested to see what my limitations are now I have these advantages"

"Good thinking" said Kirito as he approached the group.

Casus didn't know why but he couldn't help but be glad to see the young swordsman. Kirito was a boy that couldn't help but carry with him a warm presence. It reminded him very much of his brother. Perhaps that's why he also felt unsettled by him.

"Being aware of your own limits as well as your strengths are the makings of a great player" said Kirito.

"Well, as everyone likes to remind me, because I don't use a bullet-circle I'm at a disadvantage against most players" Said Casus.

"It certainly didn't stop you in that tournament" said Kirito with an approving nod. "You used the element of surprise to make up for it."

"I did a lot the work too" grinned Kureha. "He'd be hopeless without my high-level skills"

"Agreed" said Casus

Kureha was already prepared to berate Casus for whatever smart-arsed retort he spewed our, but even she couldn't hide her surprise as his confirmation.

"You agree?" Said Kureha, her eyes going wide. "I mean, damn right you agree!"

"Of course he does" said Ari. "My Master would be at a loss without you."

Kirito laughed, drawing the attention of Casus, Kureha and Ari. At first Casus couldn't quite understand what was so funny, but then it struck him. Kirito was laughing at him. Casus radiated a constant vibe of solitude, yet there he was with two loud-mouthed companions, one of which would forever be joint to his hip. Perhaps Kirito was similar. Perhaps neither of them expected to do anything other than solo, yet for some strange reason found themselves in groups.

"I'd like you guys to swing over to my apartment some time" said Kirito. "It's sort of like a base of operations for me and my friends, it would be great to introduce you all"

"I'm game" said Casus, much to Kirito's approval.

"Me too!" Said Kureha.

"I'll shall go where my Master goes" said Ari with a soft smile.

"It's settled then" said Kirito. "Drop me a PM when you want to come over."

Casus couldn't help but shake his head with a bemused smile as Kirito made his leave. At the rate he was going he might actually make some friends.

"What is it Master?" Said Ari, her concerned eyes scanning over her Master's face.

"It's nothing" smiled Casus. "Come on, let's go."


	6. (Chapter 5) Casus

For the first time in a long tome, Casus got a good night's sleep. No nightmares or disturbances, just pure rest. Still, he wouldn't risk not using his medication just yet, he had been taking it for so long that to come off it would probably cause more problems than it was worth, but at least the new game had worked out for the best. As soon as he was up and washed the first thing Casus did was to grab his AmuSphere. He intended to take Kirito up on his offer, there was certainly no harm in it.

~

Casus logged into GGO to find himself spwaned into a somewhat large room. To his side by a computer desk was a window that overlooked the city of the SBC Glocken and in front of him was a small table and chair with a bed pushed up into the back corner of the room with a TV by its side. It was a more than adequate room for player housing

"Welcome home, Master!" Said Ari who stood by the small table at the centre of the room.

"Is this my apartment?" Said Casus as he approached the window to look down on the bustling city.

"It is indeed" she said. "All players are provided with basic accommodation. Once you have the necessary funds you can even—."

"—This will do" Said Casus sharply. "It's not virtual world luxuries that I'm interested in"

"Oh, Do you intend to trade credits for IRL currency?"

"I do" Said Casus with a sly smirk. "That however, stays between us"

Ari oponed her mouth but choked as she went to speak, it was as if she had caught the words in her throat before she spoke them. No doubt she intended to question Casus further but apparently even an NPC could understand to at least some degree when a conversation must be dropped.

"Understood Master" Said Ari with an awkward shuffle.

"Tell me, Ari..." Said Casus, crossing his arms behind his back as he continued to peer out from the window. "What functionalities can you preform?"

"Well, other than providing you aid and support in combat, I'm supposed to be able to organise and maintain all your credits; purchase supplies and equipment; give support to mental health and well-being; and manage corospondence with other players."

"_Supposed to?" _said Casus with a sigh.

"Well..." squirmed Ari. "You see, I'm somewhat...incomplete"

"Elaborate."

"Well, I appear to have a number of system parts missing, so I'm unable to fulfil most of my primary functions. This is so embarrassing!" Said Ari as she sat on the chair, dragging her knees up under her chin like a pouting child.

Casus pressed his head against the window and took in a deep breath.

"No matter" he said, turning around with a forced attempt at a smile. "We can reclaim those parts in due time. For now I'll just have to make the most of your combat capabilities. I'm assuming you level with me?"

"That's correct, Master."

"That's fine. Don't purchase any skills or equipment without my approval. I'm going to have you compliment my own loadout."

Ari giggled, earring her a confused furrow of the brow from Casus.

"What is it?" He said.

"You really are getting the hang of all this rather quickly" she smiled. "Most new players can barely wrap their head around the basic systems. GGO is a fairly complicated game."

"I'm just a man that appreciates efficiency."

Casus activated his his menu to view his friends list, there he saw Kureha, Kirito and Ari. Strange that an NPC could send friend requests but it didn't matter. Casus clicked on a mail icon next to Kirito's name and a text box appeared in front of him.

**Casus To Kirito **

_Hey Kirito, it's Casus. Drop me your address and I'll come by. I'll be sure to bring Ari and Kureha along with me. _

Casus didn't have to wait long for a reply. It seemed as if Kirito couldn't keep himself away from his VRMMOs for very long either. It was only about 10am IRL.

Casus then sent a message to Kureha on where to meet him.

"Come on, Ari" said Casus with a smirk. Let's go and socialise, shall we?"

~

Casus and Ari met Kureha by the entrance to Kirito's apartment where the young girl stood at the door impatiently tapping her foot.

"You took your time!" She said with a frown.

"You could have gone in you know" said Casus. "Or don't tell me you got nervous?" A sinister smile spread across his lips and Kureha couldn't help but shuffle uneasily.

"Shuddup and let's go in."

Casus knocked at the door and it slid open with a hiss to reveal a room much akin to Casus's own, the only difference being that Kirito has clearly invested a fair few credits into his abode. He even had two small shop-stalls set up for God's sake!

"Come on in guys!" Said Kirito with a wave. "Let me introduce you to everyone."

"Who are your new friends, Kirito?" Said a large bald headed man with dark skin. He spoke fluent Japanese the same as Casus, yet his accent was clearly that of an American.

"Another Gaijin?" Scoffed Casus in English.

"Don't sound so surprised, man." He said with a smile as he outstretched his hand. "You can call me Agil. I'm from the good old US of A. You?"

Casus accepted the outstretched hand. "Casus. I'm from the U.K."

"Well met, cousin" said Agil, his voice much more troubled than before, much to Casus's confusion.

"I was able to make a little bit of that out!" said Kirito proudly. "Now I suppose I should introduce you all to everyone?"

"Please do, daddy!" Said a small girl with long black hair.

"You're a dad?!" Shrieked Kureha.

"Let's not kink shame." said Casus.

"It's nothing like that!" Said Kirito. "I'm her...adoptive dad, and Asuna is her mother."

"How old are you exactly?" Said Kureha.

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Said Asuna, shaking her hands. "Yui here is an advanced AI from another game we used to play."

"Another AI?" Said Ari happily. "I'm a ArFA-Sys Type X. It's a pleasure to meet you, Yui."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too!" Said Yui.

Kirito took a deep breath and patted his young daughter on the head.

"Well that's Ari introduced." He said. "And this is Casus and his friend Kureha."

Ari shuffled awkwardly, catching Kirito's curiosity.

"What's wrong?" He said.

"Ari is the name my Master gave me. It's special. I would prefer if only he use it..."

Kirito nodded with a smile.

"What should we call you then?"

"How about Rei?" Said a blonde haired girl. "Her unit number is 0 and the Japanese pronunciation is Rei."

"Good thinking, Lefa" smiled Kirito.

"Rei sounds more than adequate" smiled Ari.

"Well, it's good to see you all again" said Sinon with a nod.

"Hey dudes!" Said a red-armoured man with a bandana.

Casus was instantly irked but his overwhelmingly chilled demeanour. Some people were too happy for their own good.

"I'm Klein" he said with a wide grin, pointing his thumb towards his face.

A small statutred girl with pink short-hair pushed past Klein and stood before the group with her hands on her hips.

"I'm Lizbeth" she said. "You ever need any weapon modding or upgrading, I'm your girl."

"Noted" Said Casus, much to the girl's delight.

"I'm Leafa" Said a girl with blonde hair. "I'm Kirito's sister."

"And I'm Silica" said another smaller girl with brown pony tails at either side of her head.

"Ah. The mascot" said Casus coldly, earring him an elbow to the ribs from Kureha.

"I'm not a mascot!" Said the girl sternly. "I'm a quick learner and a beast with with the pistols!"

"My mistake" coughed Casus.

"I can't believe how many girls are here!" Said Kureha with a wide smile.

Casus could have sworn she was nearly hopping on the spot.

"I know how much it sucks to have jerks like Casus here treating us like mascots" said Kureha with a frown.

"You're not a mascot" Said Casus. "Mascots need to be cute. And jerk?"

"Well, Kureha." Said Asuna, pride evedent in her tone. "We girls get together quite often to go on raids and quests. You're welcome to join us anytime."

"Just glossing over the whole jerk thing are we?" Sighed Casus.

"That's amazing!" Said Kureha. "I'll send you a friend request and we can sort something out!"

"Send me one too!" Said Silica.

"Don't forget me" Said Lizbeth

"Or me!" Said Yui.

"Sure" smiled Sinon.

"They're completely ignoring me..." Said Casus.

"There there, man" said Klein as he laid a hand on Casus's shoulder. "Just let them have their moment."

The three of them sat down and talked to Kirito and his friends, the two groups clearly dividing into both boys and girls, not that it bothered Kureha. Casus could see where she was coming from, nobody, regardless of gender, would want their skills to be ignored in place of their appearance. Although the advantage posed by being underestimated would no doubt give an andvantage.

_'Perhaps if I got Kureha or Ari I'm more revealing clothes I can add yet another advantage to my arsenal?' _thought Casus curiously before shaking his head. _'Best not. If they didn't think I was a pervert before...'_

"Mr Casus?" Said Yui, pulling the young boy from his train of thought.

"Yes?"

"Your name is quite peculiar." She said. "Where is it from?"

Casus went silent as all eyes fell upon him. All eagerly awaiting an answer. He should simply tell them it's private and have them leave him be, but...

"Cassius Dio" said Agil, his eyes downcast. "Roman statesman and historian. That's where the name is from"

Casus's eyes went wide as he met Agil's troubled glare.

_'He knows.' _Thought Casus, his hand starting to shake. Casus gripped his wrist. '_Not now.'_ He thought.

"No..." breathed Casus. "That was the inspiration behind my brother's name. Mine is from Cassius Longinus."

"One of the men that plotted to kill Julius Ceaser?" said Sinon.

"Precisely" said Casus as he stood from his seat. "It seemed the most fitting. Now if you'll excuse me"

Casus made his way onto the balcony of Kirito's room, his wrist still firmly gripped in his hand, leaving the others in awkward silence as their gazed turned to Agil, desperate for answers like a group of nosy children.

"Wow" said Kureha shaking her head. "Cas's big bro is going to be pretty annoyed when he finds out he stole his name."

Agil shook his head.

"No, he won't" he sighed. "Casus's brother, the first Casus, the one I knew. He was an SAO veteran."

Kirito and his friends' heads all shot up like startled cats. Their faces a stern mix of both grief and anger. The only exception being Sinon who simply turned her gaze to the floor.

"Did he..." Said Asuna

"He was killed by Laughing Coffin" Said Agil, clenching his fists. "He was a good friend. A kind and selfless man"

Agil took a deep breath.

Kureha stood up, her fists clenched and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"No..." she whispered. "Marcus isn't dead. He...he can't be!"

Kureha felt a delicate hand grip her own and she looked down to see Ari starring back up at her, her eyes glossy like that of an upset child.

"I know this may be difficult..." she said shakily, no doubt scared of how Kureha May react. "But I must ask that you respect my Master's privacy and please don't state the names of either him or his family...no matter if they've passed or not."

"You're right..." Kureha nodded, tears still rolling down her red cheeks. "I...I should go talk to him."

"Let me" said Kirito. "Seeing you upset might make him feel even worse. I'll check on him"

Kureha nodded and sat down. To be honest, a great wave of relief had flushed over her. She had known Casus and his brother for years before she moved away. The three of them had always been so close, then they just drifted apart. She doubted she could even look Casus in the eye without breaking down.

Kirito stood up and made his way onto the balcony, being certain to shut the sound-proofing door behind him. Casus stood at the railing, overlooking the city beneath him with deep breaths.

"Hey, Casus" said Kirito as he stood beside him, leaning his back against the railing.

Casus closed his eyes, taking in the full sensation of the wind against his face.

"It's not real" he said, his hands tightening on the railing.

"I disagree" said Kirito softly.

Casus turned his sights to Kirito. There was no anger or sadness in his eyes. Just pitty.

"Then you're more of a fool than I thought" Said Casus.

"You think I'm a fool?"

"Most kind people are."

Kirito chuckled.

"I suppose you have a point" he said "but I still believe it. Who's to say that when we're here that this isn't reality? You can feel that breeze against your cheeks, smell the air."

"But it's not real."

"Says who?" Said Kirito as he turned around to match Casus's posture. "My daughter Yui is as real as you or me, so is Ari. These virtual worlds are all they'll ever know. They're real to them. Why is it so hard to believe we aren't walking through their reality? Their world?"

"It's just a game" said Casus weakly. "If it's not, then can't they kill me here too?"

"Like they killed your brother?" said Kirito with a sigh. "I promise, I won't let anyone die without a fight."

"He fought as well" scoffed Casus. "I tried to get them in the game but it wasn't the same. They just came back, over and over as they laughed at me. In the end, I had to do it in the real world. Now who's laughing?"

Casus bit his lip. He had said too much, to share much more would be to incriminate himself, and drag up the memories that caused so much pain.

Kirito pressed a hand of Casus's shoulder. "I know what it feels like" he said. "No matter what you've done, I promise I understand. Me and most of my friends in there are SAO survivors. We lost people too, and we did terrible things. It still haunts me too."

Casus nodded.

"I could tell. I've met SAO survivors before. In game and IRL. They weren't like you and your friends though." Casus ran his fingers down the scar that marked his brow and cheek. "They were far worse."

Casus stood back from the railing and forced a smile.

"But I think I'm done talking about this" he said with a laugh.

"We all need to stick together" Said Kirito, worry clear in his voice. "If you need a friend to talk to, we'll be here for you."

Casus had to fight back the urge to laugh. He hadn't heard anyone say anything like that to him in a long time. Only Kureha provided any form of friendship and he had only just gotten into contact with her again. But now? Now he had a whole group to stand by him. Perhaps purchasing GGO was the best thing had had done in years.


	7. (Chapter 6) Sinon

Sinon stood in the Governor's Office and looked over the various mission boards that lined the wall with a groan of underwhelmed indifference.

_'Why are all the quests so poor today?'_ She thought with an audible sigh. '_I suppose I'm going to have to hunt some high level players for some good drops. It's just a shame Kirito isn't here to cover my back' _

Sinon's heard turned to the sound of a loud screech near the store-terminals. Standing with his hand over his face was Casus and before him stood Rei, her face a burning red and her outfit seemingly more revealing than it had been the day prior.

"What is this?!" She cried, looking down to her exposed legs and stomach with shock.

"I don't know" Said Casus dryly. "You bought it."

"How was I supposed to know this is what it meant by 'breathable combat-armour'!" Rei tried to huddle herself down and cover her exposed flesh, but a number of the other players had already began to take note. "Stoooop!"

Casus sighed and tapped away at the terminal. Suddenly his outfit changed from the standard white jacket and blue clothing to a set of black military trousers and a padded top with rolled up sleeves. In terms of raw protection, a steel chest-plate had also appeared over his top.

"This is more like it" he grinned. "Now please buy something more practical."

Sinon couldn't help but smile weakly at the site of the two. Having gone through the horrors that she had, it was good to see another person being able to stay so calm and collected despite what they had been through. It made her feel normal to see someone else act somewhat like herself.

"Damn" said Casus

"What is it, Master?"

"I don't have enough credits for the P90 just yet" he said scowl. "That complicates things."

"You should really learn to budget better, Master" said Rei with a giggle.

"I did" Said Casus, shooting her a deadly look. "They've bumped up the price."

Sinon made her way towards the two and started tapping at the terminal just in front of Casus.

"Market prices are constantly fluctuating" she said, spawning a fully loaded P90 into her hands. "I'll spot you this once. If you can help me out with a little something."

A sly smirk spread across Casus's lips, it was as if he were a conman sizing up his next big mark.

"A more than amicable arrangement" he said. "What did you have in mind?"

Sinon pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the quest-boards.

"All the available missions are lacklustre to say the least and I need to pick up some decent equipment. My best course of action is to acquire gear from other players."

"And you need someone to watch your back?" Said Casus.

"Correct."

Casus nodded to himself slowly as he thought it over before finally taking the P90 from Sinon's hand.

"Let me just pick up some ammo and we can get moving."

Sinon smiled and put her hands on her hips.

"Should I buy some ammo too Master?" Said Rei, her head cocked to one side.

"No" said Casus. "Your current loadout isn't suitable for PvP. Hopefully I can acquire enough funds from this run to buy you some more suitable equipment."

"Agreed" said Sinon.

"I understand" said Ari as she hung her head low. "I know I can be a burden. It isn't easy having to fund two people when you're a new player."

"It's alright, Ari" said Casus as he laid a hand on her shoulder, making the AI blush. "You head back to the apartment and watch some TV. Maybe you can even pick up some cheap equipment you think is useful for my armoury on your way?"

"Alright Master, I'll do some deal hunting!" She smiled as she skipped away. "Stay safe!"

Casus rubbed his face with a moan as Rei disappeared from view.

"She's a good girl" said Casus. "She's just a little dense."

Sinon nodded. She felt mostly bad for Rei though. She was like a novice player, nearly devoid of much skill and combat ability. Lucky that was something that could be worked on with time.

"You ready?" Said Sinon.

"Absolutely" grinned Casus as he spawned a featureless black ballistic-mask over his face. "Let's do this."

~

Casus and Sinon skulked through the derelict buildings of the abandoned city, going through desolate streets and abandoned skyscrapers on their quest to find other players and killing any creatures that crossed their path, the only exception being the giant robots that flew above the city's permeter, destroying any that drew too near to their agro-range.

"You sure know your way around" said Casus as the two made their way into the lobby of a large skyscraper.

"A good sniper knows the best vantage points " she said as she raised her rifle and scammed over the empty lobby.

"Allow me" said Casus as he activated one of his skills, turning his eyes into a deep neon-blue.

"Recon vision?" said Sinon.

"Yes, I'm going to scan the area for code fragments of any despwaned casingings and enemies. If anyone passed through in the last two hours, we'll know"

"I'll do the same" said Sinon. "We can cover more ground."

Sinon looked over the room to see a vast array of glowing blue codes that reassembled to take the shape of their original forms. Bullet casings and destroyed enemies covered the majority of the room, and judging by the brightness of the items, it had been fairly recent. Sinon and Casus deactivated their ability.

"I saw multiple calibers of bullet casing" said Casus as he readied his weapon. "They also cleared out a large group of hostiles and I didn't see any player casualties. They're probably well equipped and prepared."

"Good work" said Sinon with a smirk. "You take point with the P90. I'll watch our rear"

"Understood" said Casus as made his way up the lobby stairs.

Casus and Sinon advanced up the skyscraper cautiously, avoiding the wires to many a crudely assembled trap along their way. Sinon had to admit, it was good to work with someone that was just as cautious and perceptive as herself. He conducted himself with what she could only desrcribe as a profesionality; despite GGO being just a game, he seemed to move through the world as if his life was in a constant state of risk. Perhaps after what happened to his brother, it was understandable.

"What was he like?" Blurted Sinon. She instantly regretted her words and bit her lip as if to clamp her mouth shut.

"He was many things" said Casus, clearly knowing to whom she referred. "Kind, caring, brave. But not cautious."

Sinon sighed. _'Nice one.' _She thought.

"What brought you to GGO?" Said Casus.

Sinon felt her chest tighten. She couldn't exactly to him to mind his business after asking him a personal question also.

"I thought it would help me with some problems that I have..." she said softly, her eyes downcast.

"Say no more"

Sinon looked back up Casus. He hadn't even stopped to look down at her, he simply continued to move forward.

"I thought you wanted to know?"

Casus scoffed, more to himself than at Sinon.

"I do" he said. "But I'm damaged goods too, so I already know you won't tell me the whole story yet. I don't like half answers. I neither give them, or take them."

Sinon frownwed. There was no need to be an arse, even if he could relate in some way.

"I'm not damaged goods" she said, gritting her teeth. "And you should take what you're given."

"Of course you are" Said Casus. "Being damaged isn't a bad thing. It's a necessity to becoming a stronger person. And don't tell me what to take. I can refuse what I wish."

Sinon bit her lip, fighting the urge to bite back at Casus. Everyone had their own way of coping. She very much doubted his comments were coming from a spiteful place, in fact, she was convinced he probably thought his words were helpful; but it didn't make them any less infuriating.

"Thank you" Said Casus, much to Sinon's surprise.

"For what?"

"I've never been able to talk like that to someone before. We all put on masks, but why bother for those that can see through them?"

Sinon couldn't help but smile. A bastard? Most definitely. A bad guy? No, not likely.

"Dude, these newbies have such crap gear" Said the gruff voice of a man near the top of the stairs.

Casus stretched his arm to his side and gently raised and lowered his hand. Sinon lowered herself down and the two continued on their slow approach.

"I know, man" said another voice. "Still, we got some good shit from the last group that came through, boss near enough wiped them out himself."

"Yeah, the boss is a beast with that shotty of his. Could you imagine the mess that thing would make IRL?"

"It would be so awesome" chucked the man.

Sinon moved beside Casus and peered her head over the last couple of steps to see two men standing with their back to them further down the room. The two players looked out from a broken wall at the side of the building and out over the city.

"Go silent" whispered Casus as he slung his P90 over his shoulder and drew a slightly curved knife from his waist.

Sinon nodded and the two creeped towards the two players. Casus pounced on the first without hesitation, pulling back the player's head as he pressed his hand over his mouth and jammed his knife into his exposed neck with multiple thrusts. The man's muffled yells drew the attention of his buddy but before he could even react, Sinon pressed the suppressed nuzzle of her pistol to the side of his head and fired. The two men erupted into fragments of code.

"Intuders!" cried out a voice to the side of them. Casus and Sinon looked to the man that stood at the foot of a small flight of stairs, calling up to whoever was still on the floor above. Before Sinon had a chance to fire her pistol Casus had thrown his knife squarely into the head of the player, pushing him back against the wall before he disappeared.

"You bastards are gonna pay for that!" yelled a man as he made his way down the stairs.

A large armoured man appeared with a sawn-off pump action shotgun held firmly in one hand while he wielded a riot-shield in the other. Sinon emptied her magazine into the player but to no avail, even the exposed limbs she could hit were too well armoured for her small caliber pistol.

Casus quickdrew his pistol and fired several rounds into the glass screen of the shield, much to the man's annoyance.

"Get around him!" Yelled Casus.

Sinon tried to flank the attacker but the cramped nature of the room was not the environment she was used to. With a swing of his shield the player struck Sinon in the chest, pushing her into the wall.

"Eat lead, bitch!" He grinned as he aimed his weapon.

Sinon watched as the multiple red bullet-lines appeared from the nozzle of the gun. The spread was wide but perhaps due to how close she was she could avoid the shot.

Casus fired his last round into the man's knee, bringing the man down and throwing off his shot as he raised his weapon in the air. The space above Sinon's head was all but decimated by the blast.

"I'm so done with you, you scrawny bastard!" Cried the man as he charged at Casus like a deranged rhino.

Casus planted his feet down and attempted to push back against the charge, holding him back for all but a couple of seconds before being slammed slammed into the wall, his feet scraping across the floor.

"You're stronger than you—!"

Caus headbutted his attacker twice, cutting his sentence short and breaking his nose in the process, unfortunately it only really accomplishing in making the man chuckle hysterically.

"You're a brutal little bastard" grinned the man, "animals like you should be put down!"

The player's strength was inhuman and was no doubt the stat he had chosen to specialise in. All he would have to do was wring their necks with his massive hands and the two of them would be done for. Even in an experience as immersive as VR one could not solely rely on real world expertise, especially when some stats could make a person near super-human.

Casus raised his leg up and pushed the man back so he could slip out from between him and the wall. His sensei would have been proud. Breaking from holds had never been his specialty.

Sinon reloaded her pistol with a loud click.

"I don't think so!" he grinned as he now charged at Sinon.

Spotting his chance, Caus went in for his own tackle. As the man passed the hole in the wall Casus launched himself forward and sent the two of them hurtling out the side of the building.

"Casus!" Yelled Sinon.

Sinon peered her head over the edge of the building only to jump back when a string of green energy latched to the ceiling above her. Casus came flying back up to the hole with a groan.

"Smooth moves" she laughed as she helped drag Casus back into the building.

"This may be VR but I'll definitely be feeling that later" chuckled Casus as he rolled back his shoulders.

"You'll be fine" said Sinon as she handed him back his knife and pistol.

"Still, that guy was a tank."

Sinon smiled and turned to look down at the dropped shotgun by the edge of the wall. With smirk she bent down to grab it.

"Here" She said, handing Casus the shotgun. "You can add it to your collection."

"Thank you kindly" said Casus awkwardly adding the weapon to his inventory.

Sinon looked to Casus's red-flushed face, realisation hitting her like a train and sending her face an even brighter red. Although her clothes were far more practical than Rei's, they still weren't complete in terms of, 'coverage'. Perhaps bending over to pick up the weapon wasn't the wisest of decisions.

"K-Keep moving!" She said, grabbing Casus by the arm and pulling him in front. "You take point!"

The two went up the small flight of stairs into what appeared to be a small conference room. A broken window looked out onto the city and multiple containers were stacked onto the table.

"Well, shit" said Casus, grinning beneath his mask.

"I've got to go out with you more often" laughed Sinon as she rushed to the containers. "We've hit the motherboard!"

"So, you just want to go out with me so you can get nice things?"

Sinon's eyes went wide and her cheeks became a bright shade of red, turning her into some strange type of sun-riped tomato for the second time in so many minutes.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean," Sinon smashed her foot onto the ground and pointed a slender finger at Casus. "Not like that!"

"Alright, alright." said Casus as he started searching through the containers.

Sinon awkwardly did the same, shuffling through the various pieces of equipment within the boxes and despite the good loot she was finding, she couldn't take her mind off the way that Casus fought. It was a style less focoused on the use of in game skills and attributes, but instead focused on real life techniques. Even the way he through the knife wasn't something that could be done without knowing how to do it in the real world. Not to mention the pracise brutality he employed...

Sinon looked over Casus while he rummaged through the container in front of him. His face hidden but his eyes solely focoused at the task at hand. Sinon didn't know where he learned to do what he could do, but perhaps it was best not to know.

With a sigh, Sinon moved to one container that was placed away from the others. It was a rather long weapon-box that had been laid by the window.

_'Probably a sniper' _She thought as she oponed the box.

The loud crack of a rifle then fired and Sinon knew instantly what had happened. She looked inside the box to see a sniper rifle rigged inside, a piece of cord leading away from the trigger mechanism and to the edge of the container. Near the muzzle of the weapon a whole had been carved out of the box, meaning the bullet had been fired out from the the window.

"Sinon, you hit?" Said Casus.

Sinon shook her head.

"No, the shot fired out of the building..."

"Why would they rig a rifle to fire away from the building?" Said Casus curiously as he inspected the container.

Sinon felt her stomach drop and she slowly turned her gaze to outside the window only to see a black blip steadily approaching, increasing in size as it drew ever closer.

"They set up the rifle to agro the robot..." she breathed.

Caus looked to Sinon and then back out of the window, his shoulders slouching with a defeated groan.

"Shit."


End file.
